The present invention relates to an electrostatic accelerator with a target onto which beams electrically charged particles are directed to generate gamma or neutron radiation of predetermined energies utilized for calibration measurements or in material research.
With such accelerator it is possible to generate, for example, particle beams of H+ or D+ ions with energies up to 200 keV and intensities of several mA. Such a particle beam is directed onto a predetermined target disposed at the end of an acceleration tube and generates, as a result of reactions with the cores of the target atoms, depending on the target material, a cascade of coincident, hard gamma radiation or neutrons of a high well-defined energy. The secondary radiation generated in this manner is suitable for calibration measurements or material testing,
European Publication EP 0471 601 A2 discloses an accelerator of this type in which a CW-voltage multiplier (Cockroft/Walteron-multiplier) is arranged, when viewed in the direction of the radiation, behind the acceleration unit and even behind the target. Therefore, the voltage can be supplied to the acceleration unit axially only by means of tubular connections. This results in a certain disadvantage with regard to the manipulation of the apparatus for applications where the available space is limited or where the accelerator is not stationary.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an electrostatic accelerator which can be easily manipulated and transported and which is therefore compact and safe to operate and which therefore facilitates calibration measurements of radiation detectors and also material examination and irradiation to be performed at various locations.